The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications [Paperback]

Lawrence A. Kane (Author), Kris Wilder (Author), Jeff Cooper (Foreword), Iain Abernethy (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2005

The Principles for Understanding Kata are Largely Unknown – Until Now

The ancient masters developed kata, or "formal exercises," as fault-tolerant methods to preserve their unique, combat-proven fighting systems. Unfortunately, they deployed a two-track system of instruction where an 'outer circle' of students unknowingly received modified forms with critical details or important principles omitted. Only the select 'inner circle' that had gained a master's trust and respect would be taught okuden waza, the powerful hidden applications of kata.

The theory of deciphering kata applications (kaisai no genri) was once a great mystery revealed only to trusted disciples of the ancient masters in order to protect the secrets of their systems. Even today, while the basic movements of kata are widely known, advanced practical applications and sophisticated techniques frequently remain hidden from the casual observer. The principles and rules for understanding kata are largely unknown.

This groundbreaking book unveils these methods, not only teaching you how to analyze your kata to understand what it is trying to tell you, but also helping you to utilize your fighting techniques more effectively—both in self-defense and in tournament applications.

Fifteen general principles to identify effective techniques:

• Twelve discrete rules for deciphering martial applications

• Comprehensive insights into kata history, strategy and tactics

• Vital physiological considerations

• Well organized materials for easy reference

Editorial Reviews

Review

"..absolute must for any serious practioner..." — Philip Starr, ISKF Hall of Fame Member

"...bridges the gap between form and application..." — Loren W. Christensen, author

"...brings meaningful information to today's martial artists." — Martina Sprague, author

"This book is a pioneering step..." — Sgt. Rory Miller

"This superb book is essential reading..." — Ian Abernathy, author

From the Publisher

Preface "I only expected to be in this country for three months; however, when I came to Spokane (Washington) and saw the deplorable level of Goju Ryu there, I took time and great pains to correct it. After six months—twice the length of time I had planned to stay—I realized that it would be easier to start from scratch than to fix the problems. It’s usually better to rebuild a house than to remodel it! "The Goju Ryu that I saw when I finally visited dojos across the country was very poor, but I knew it wasn’t anybody’s fault. I understood there had been many teachers before, many bridges, and the messages often got crossed. There was such a gap between those practitioners and me! I didn’t want to make any instructor uncomfortable. "My job first was to encourage people, not discourage them. I started correcting the basics and built the kata on them. Once we had some common ground, I could build on it. It was harder working with the instructors than with the beginners, because they had high rank and their pride prevented them from training with me in front of their students. And sometimes their students were better than they! But I understood the situation. So I gave them private instruction whenever I could, usually during breaks." – Teruo Chinen When new martial artists begin their training, they find they have to relearn basic concepts like breathing, standing, and walking. They are taught how to breathe through their diaphragm rather than solely with their lungs, introduced to a variety of uncomfortable stances and foreign postures, and shown how to move in unusual new ways. Balance and coordination take on a new meaning. And that’s just the beginning. Soon they are introduced to kata, the dancelike movements in which the ancient masters hid the secrets of their unique fighting systems. Almost all Asian martial systems have kata of one type or another, from arnis to kung fu, karate to judo, and tae kwon do to tai chi. A kata is simply a pattern of movements containing a logical series of offensive and defensive techniques that are performed in a particular order. Its origins can be found in the nature of fighting, more than a thousand years of trial and error based on practical experience as well as keen observations about combat between animal and animal, between animal and man, and man-to-man. According to Morio Higaonna, "The true meaning and spirit of karate are imbedded in kata and only by the practice of kata can we come to understand them." Individuals who learn an art’s strategy and diligently practice its kata can learn real-world fighting applications that they may use to defend themselves. While each kata is supposed to be performed the same way every time, there are a plethora of applications, or bunkai, from every kata, movements that can be applied in a real fight. Some applications, especially simple, straightforward ones, are easier to decipher than others. Unfortunately, such applications are not always the best interpretation of a given movement, nor are they the most likely to succeed in actual combat. Anything less than the best is simply not good enough if your life is on the line. Kata is not dance practice nor is it aerobic training . It is the fundamental basis of a fighting art. Like a textbook, it contains all the applications you need to defend yourself in mortal combat. To get the most out of your martial art, you simply need to know how to "read" your kata like a book. Ah, but that’s the rub isn’t it? How does one learn how to read the kata textbook? The answer to that question is, of course, contained herein. We wrote these materials to help you do just that. The theory of deciphering applications from kata is called kaisai. Since it offers guidelines for unlocking the true meaning of each kata movement, kaisai no genri (the theory of kaisai) was once a great mystery revealed only to trusted disciples of the ancient masters in order to protect the secrets of their systems. Using the rules of kaisai no genri, practitioners can decipher the original intent of kata movements by logically analyzing each specific movement to find its okuden waza (hidden technique). This book helps practitioners understand the strategy behind whatever martial art they have chosen to study so that they can utilize its tactics wisely. Our efforts will show you how to analyze your kata to determine the best applications for a given situation. The heart of these materials covers fifteen general principles for identifying effective techniques as well as twelve discrete rules for deciphering applications from kata.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594390584
• ISBN-13: 978-1594390586
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good guidlines for kata interpretation, December 31, 2005

By 

Joseph M Burtner (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)

I liked this book very much. Shorin-ryu karate was my first martial art, and since moving on to more modern arts I've felt a sense of fustration that most karate, as taught today, cannot efficiently produce a person capable of defending themselves. The reliance on kata as a teaching tool adds to this fustration. Are the moves in kata effective? Why do some sequences seem illogical? Why aren't the movements explained? Is the explaination we're getting accurate?

"The Way of Kata" provides the karate-ka with a set of guidlines which makes understanding the movements of kata easier. The authors are both from the Goju-Ryu system, and so their explainations are most directly applicable to that system, and it's the system the book focuses on.

Chapter 1 covers background information, such as answering the fundamental question "What is kata", as well as going over the history of Goju kata. They also write about why the movements are hidden, and how to use kata as a curriculum of sorts.

Chapter 2 focuses on the difference between strategy & tactics, and how they relate to the Goju system. They also introduce the "Decision Stick", a takeoff of the concept of a "Decision Tree", designed to aid one in making split-second decisions instead of having to calculate dozens of variables when deciding on a strategy.

Chapter 3 covers the fifteen principles that aid in kata interpretation. Some may be familiar with long-time students of kata ("There is more than one interpretation") while others may be new to people ("Work with the Adrenaline Rush"). That last one got my attention, as well as "Nerve Strikes are 'Extra Credit'" and "Cross the T to escape".

Chapter 4 gets into the rules of kata interpretation; my favorite has to be "There is no block". There are others I'm still struggling with, such as "Kata demonstrate proper angles", but the rule about advancing & retreating techniques really explains a lot, and the head control rule is valuable to anyone.

Chapter 5 covers a lot of ground, including vital points (based on accupuncture theory & physiology), how the brain works in combat, and how to determine an appropriate level of response to your threat. There's a lot of things to take into consideration that are presented here, but the authors try to keep things in context of kata performance & utilization.

Chapter 6 covers the actual learning process; how to take kata movements and drill them as fighting techniques.

Chapter 7 gives examples of movements found in certain Goju kata and provides both the orthodox interpretation and the authors "optimal" interpretation. I think seeing these two views back-to-back is valuable, as is seeing the authors' checklist of principles and rules beside the interpretation.

There was some nice 'bonus' material in the appendices, including an ancient poem on the "precepts of kempo", a brief summary of Goju kata, and a blank checklist for the rules & principles of kata. Also nice was an illustrated glossary of karate terms (for those of us who don't speak Japanese).

I have two major complaints about this book. The first is that if the reader is unfamiliar with Goju-Ryu kata (like me) there are ample opportunities to get lost. Entire kata are not presented at any time, which I think would have added to the book. Since most of my kata come from a different lineage, I was left scratching my head whenever they tried to give examples; chapter 7 wasn't really useful in helping me understand the kata of my system. My second big complaint is that the authors fall into the trap of assuming maximum (and at times, unrealistic) damage or results from a particular technique. Every backfist to the temple is assumed to end in death; every stomp to the ankle or instep is assumed to be a fight-ender. It seems that a little dose of reality has been left out of some of these interpretations.

Overall, this book was written as a guide to help karateka interpret the movements found in their kata; I think it accomplished that. The chapters laid out their agenda very well, and a summary at the end of every chapter reitterated the lessons. I had only a few important complaints, but I'd recomend this to any karateka interested in exploring their kata more deeply, or even to non-traditionalists for some of the principles and ideas included inside.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Theory of Kata & Practical Application, March 10, 2006

By 

Walter Morton "the happy contrarian" (Venice, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)

"Theory of Japanese Kata & Practical Application" is what I would have titled this terrific book on Japanese karate & kata. The authors draw from traditional Japanese roots in Goju-Ryu Karate but also incorporate ideas and modern points of view from a variety of martial artists. It is densely filled with information that is hard-to-find elsewhere. If one were to find any flaw at all in this work, it would be that it builds from a foundation of Goju-Ryu karate, which may not be very well known to students of other schools or non-Japanese styles. That does not mean you will not benefit from reading it -- you will, and if you read it seriously you may think about "what kata is" more deeply. And with greater understanding & appreciation. While many books will teach you the specific technical moves in a kata (i.e. Nakayama's excellent BEST KARATE series) this book discusses WHY you learn kata, the benefits, the intentions of creators of kata, the art, tradition, and psychology of kata. Ideas applicable to all schools where kata are learned. I have studied a variety of martial arts for 30 years and read hundreds of books on the subject in that time. I would say without any hesitation this book can fairly be placed in the "top 10 books" that belong in any martial artist's library, regardless of school or background.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book is an understatement, September 16, 2005

By 

Michael Odell (Blaine, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)

Saying The Way of Kata by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder is a great book is an understatement. What an addition to traditional Okinawa Karate. This is not another book of complicated and questionable techniques or weird physiological theories.

When I first scanned the chapters and their contents I quickly realized this is a work that is needed and long time coming. Regardless of ones style or system, when it comes to discerning each move of ones kata, this is the book.

I have been studying my martial art for 36 years, and this is not only the best martial art book on kata I own, but a work in a league of its own.

If you obtain the book for just the fifteen general principles to identify effective kata techniques and the twelve discrete rules for deciphering martial applications, it will be well worth it.

Michael E. Odell
Isshin-ryu Northwest Okinawa Karate Association ®